India Open Superseries: Rousing start for Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth crashes out

Saina Nehwal in action against compatriot Tanvi Lad in their India Open Super Series Round 1 game on Wednesday.

Kidambi Srikanth failed to make this week’s India Open Super Series another dream tournament for him as the 2015 champion crashed out in the opening round of the $300,000 event at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

Srikanth went down fighting to China’s seventh ranked Tian Houwei 13-21, 21-17, 11-21 in a men’s singles opening round match that lasted over an hour. This was Srikanth’s sixth loss to the All England finalist against his one win during the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February.

The Indian, currently ranked 10th, is expected to slip in the BWF world rankings failing to defend his points at the championship.

Srikanth’s loss came in the day after defending champion and home favourite Saina Nehwal made a rousing start to her campaign early in the evening matches. In an expected result, Saina thrashed her junior compatriot Tanvi Lad 21-7, 21-13 in 34 minutes.

Promising Rituparna Das joined Saina in the second round overcoming Anura Prabhudesai 21-18, 21-15. Later, P.V. Sindhu thrashed Jeanine Cicog-nini of Italy 21-8, 21-8 in another women’s singles game.

However, it was the end of road for youngtser B. Sai Praneeth and 24th ranked Ajay Jayaram in the men’s singles. Praneeth, who had stunned two-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei in the opening round of All England Champion-ship, crashed out with a 20-22, 13-21 defeat to Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

Jayaram too made an early exit going down 12-21, 21-13, 19-21 to Germany’s Marc Zwiebler.

Among the top names, China’s Li Xuerui, Wang Yihan, Thai Ratchanok Intanon, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying advanced.